Ps 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.
David realized just how bad he sinned when Nathan the prophet arrived on his doorstep. Once David admitted his sin against God, Nathan assured him of God’s forgiveness. David knew God’s forgiveness offers change, a fresh start and starting over.
Once we are cleansed of our sin by the blood of Jesus we are changed. We forsake the influences of the world but it is a process. This process of renewal is not easy as we see in David’s life. He continued to feel the guilt of the commandments he broke but through God’s mercy and cleansing power he overcame. He acknowledged that his flesh was weak but he kept his eyes on God’s mercy and love and persevered.
Without God none of us can change. The lure of the world is strong especially when it comes to moral and ethical issues. There are too many “fine lines” and gray areas in life. I’m sure every time conflict occurred; David thought about and regretted his actions with Bathsheba. If we measure what we do by the rule of God’s word and not by how we perceive the situation, perhaps we can save ourselves some heartache down the line. Recommit your life to God, ask forgiveness of your sins and he will renew you. It is never too late to start over fresh then ask God to create a clean heart in you.
Jena Kleinpeter 